Mock Draft 2.0 (Lottery)

Recently I did a mock draft, except there was no draft lottery, so the order was based off of the current standings.

Today, I will be making a randomly generated lottery and doing the mock draft off of that.

Pick 1: Cleveland Cavaliers
Andrew Edwards

Anthony Edwards is the best player in this draft, and the Cavs are desperate for some play-makers. Darius Garland is still developing, and Edwards could be the immediate answer for the Cavs with his scoring ability. But, the Cavs will need to sort out their guard position with Sexton, Garland, and Edwards. But, Edwards is be a guy that the Cavs cannot miss. The Cavs still need lots of work on their lineup, but Edwards should provide some much needed help for the future.

Pick 2: Golden State Warriors
James Wiseman

With Edwards off the board, the Warriors can focus on their lineup needs. If the Warriors had #1, they would take Edwards, but with him being taken by the Cavs #1 overall, the Warriors should look into improving their front-court. James Wiseman will be that big body down low that the Warriors have not had during their dynasty. If Curry and Thompson come back healthy and back to their old form, with Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors could be a contender next season with Wiseman. And, best for Wiseman, he is not being asking to score 20 a night. He will just be that big rebounder that the Warriors don’t have on their lineup right now.

Pick 3: Minnesota Timberwolves
Lamelo Ball

Lamelo Ball has the chance to be the next Magic Johnson. With his height and play-making ability, he is very enticing for teams to take. While this pick seems obvious to some people, this might cause problems for the Timberwolves. With Ball, you know have him and D’Angelo Russell in the back-court. While this duo is explosive on offense, their defense is atrocious. The Timberwolves desperately need defense, but they can’t pass on Ball who might be a generational talent. Along with the Cavs, the T-Wolves will some work to their roster, but Ball could a cornerstone in their rebuild.

Pick 4: Atlanta Hawks
Deni Avdija

Avdija is the biggest question mark in the draft, but he could be a very good player. The Hawks have lots of young talent and if they continue to improve, they could be a playoff team very soon. With Avdija, you are getting another play-maker with Trae Young, somebody who can help move the ball around. Avdija could become a good 3-point shooter and space the floor for the Hawks as well. Avdija could be a big risk for the Hawks, but the Hawks could use another electric player like Trae Young for the future.

Pick 5: Detroit Pistons
Obi Toppin

The Pistons have a problem. Blake Griffin has been injured all year long, and they lost their other franchise player in Andre Drummond. There are very few bright spots for the Pistons, with those being Derrick Rose and Christian Wood. The Pistons need a lot of things, and Obi Toppin could fill a lot of the roles that they need. While Toppin is not a great interior defender, he could become a good shot blocker with his great leaping ability. This will help the Pistons paint presence. On offense, Toppin has some post moves and he has shown ability to space the floor with his jump shooting. Toppin could really help Derrick Rose operate on the floor with his spacing. Toppin is a very safe pick, but the Pistons needs some talent to fill out their weak lineup.

Pick 6: New York Knicks
Cole Anthony

When healthy, Anthony has shown signs of being a very good dual threat point guard with his scoring and play-making abilities. The Knicks are in desperate need of a PG with RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle already on roster. Anthony showed signs of being a great scorer, but his inside scoring could be better. A lot of people have concerns with Anthony and his one season at college. People should ignore that season. Anthony was shooting bad shots for a horrible UNC team, and he has injured as well. With the Knicks, Anthony will not be forcing shots and can show everybody his real game. The Knicks are finally getting their PG in Anthony, and now maybe they finally start making strides to the playoffs.

Pick 7: Chicago Bulls
Tyrese Haliburton

In my opinion, the best all around player in this draft is Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton has an unorthodox looking shot, but he is efficient from 3, and he uses his long arms and frame to play excellent defense. The Bulls are lacking defense with a lineup of Coby White, Zach Lavine, Otto Porter, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. Haliburton will likely be off the bench, but he will get played a lot because of his value on both ends of the floor. Haliburton is a valuable asset to the Bulls, as they look to piece together their roster and make a push for the playoffs.

Pick 8: Charlotte Hornets
Isaac Okoro

Okoro is very raw on the offensive end, but he has shown potential to be a good rim attacker, but he is excellent on defense. He has the potential to be a great 2-way wing in the NBA. The Hornets, like the Bulls, are lacking defense. With Terry Rozier and Devonte Graham in the backcourt, along with PJ Washington and Miles Bridges, Okoro will be giving the Hornets some much needed defense and length. Okoro might take a few years to develop into a better scorer, but the defense is there. He just needs some time. Okoro is a nice prospect for the Hornets, and in a few years, he could become a great 2-way player for the ascending Hornets.

Pick 9: Washington Wizards
RJ Hampton

Hampton is a great play-maker and scorer. He has great handles and can break down a defense with his slicing crossover. Hampton could improve his shooting for both mid-range and 3, but he has been capable of hitting both efficiently. Hampton loves to attack the rack, and gets to the foul line a lot. With John Wall being out for a long period of time, the Wizards need some play-makers to go alongside Bradley Beal. Hampton will be a nice backcourt mate for Beal and for the Wizards, and his much needed play-making will help the Wizards offense and Bradley Beal be more successful.

Pick 10: Phoenix Suns
Killian Hayes

Hayes is a very athletic guard who is a great play-maker. Hayes is another intriguing prospect, and like Avdija, could be very good. Hayes is athletic and has a great knack for finding open teammates. Other than attacking the rim, Hayes is not a great jump shooter. The Suns have Ricky Rubio, but he has two years left on his contract. Hayes and Rubio are similar, in the fact that they are great passers. If the Suns select Hayes, they could develop him for 2 years under Rubio, and then if they decide to let Rubio go, they would have a very capable replacement in Hayes. He would also make life for Devin Booker as he can find more open people and take some of the stress off of Booker. Hayes would bring a new style of PG to Phoenix, and some youth as well.

Pick 11: San Antonio Spurs
Tyrese Maxey

The Spurs are in an interesting place. They have two former All-Stars in DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. Both of whom are getting older. They have a plethora of guards with Patty Mills, Bryn Forbes, Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker on the roster. The Spurs will soon be rebuilding and this pick could help them out in the future. This is where Tyrese Maxey comes into play. Maxey is an excellent scoring guard and has the potential to be a good PG for the Spurs. Although is more of a scorer now, Maxey could develop his handles and court vision to be more of a combo guard. Maxey will not help immediately for the Spurs, but he could be a valuable piece down the line.

Pick 12: Kings
Onyeka Okongwu

The Kings have lots of young talent to build on for the future. De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield lead the way with nice pieces like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III. But, the Kings have not been able to turn this talent into wins. Part of this has been their depth. Marvin Bagley was injured for a large portion of the season, and he only played 13 games this season. Onyeka Okongwu would be giving some much needed frontcourt depth for the Kings. Okungwu is undersized for the C position, but he would be a good PF, and some paint presence. Okungwu is a defensive specialist and he is a good post scorer. Okungwu might find some problems with his size down low, but if he can find his way, the Kings will be beefing up their frontcourt.

Pick 13: New Orleans Pelicans
Devin Vassell

The Pelicans are the team of the future in the Western Conference, with the #1 pick Zion Williamson, All-Star Brandon Ingram and others like Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball, the Pelicans could pose some serious problems very soon. But, they could use some defensive help as they ranked in the bottom 10 in defensive rating. Devin Vassell would be a perfect guy for the Pelicans. The 6 foot 7 forward is the perfect 3&D guy. Vassell shot over 40% from 3 in college and is an excellent catch and shoot shooter. With Vassell being 6 foot 7, he could guard point guards and small forwards in the NBA, with the possibility of guarding some power forwards. Vassell could be a very versatile asset for the Pelicans next season, and he would help the Pelicans on defense, something that they need to address very quickly.

Pick 14: Portland Trail Blazers
Precious Achiuwa

Coming off of a Western Conference Final’s appearance, the Blazers were disappointing to many this season. But, they were plagued by injuries all year, especially in the front court. They did not have Jusuf Nurkic all season because of an injury that he got in March of 2019. Zach Collins had a shoulder injury that sidelined him for most of the year and Rodney Hood ruptured his Achilles that will sideline him for some time as well. With the Blazers having a weak frontcourt, they should try and beef that up in the draft. Precious Achiuwa would be a great way to sure up the big man position for the Blazers. Achiuwa plays above the rim and has slashing ability. He shot 33% from 3, so he has shown that he can knock down the 3 ball. But, most importantly for the Blazers, he is a great rebounder, averaging 10.8 rebounds per game at Memphis. The Blazers desperately need some frontcourt help, and Precious Achiuwa will definitely help them get better in the 20-21 season.

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I hope you have enjoyed this edition of the Lottery Mock Draft. Please leave a comment on what you agree and disagree with, and next time if I should do a different draft order?